Your restaurant needs to be both a functional and comfortable place for your guests. It should create a great first impression but it also needs to allow the waiters to walk freely between the tables.
Upgrading a restaurant is not the same as upgrading a home but it’s possible to stay within the budget and still boost the business through a few improvements.
1. Lighting for the atmosphere
If you choose the right lighting, it could easily boost your sales. People are more relaxed under appropriate lighting and ready to spend more. Too dim lighting will make it difficult to read the menu while too much light will create a sterile atmosphere. Decide what you’re aiming for – a friendly atmosphere, a romantic setting or an eat-and-go ambiance? It will point you in the right direction when choosing the lighting fixtures. And don’t forget your kitchen staff – they need sufficient light to perform their jobs well.
2. Update of the furnishings
People often associate the furnishing in a restaurant with the quality of the food. If they notice your table, chairs or table cloths are worn out or faded, they will probably order less food or won’t come back as often. A new layer of the right paint on the tables could easily make the portions bigger and make the food look tastier. Even new comfortable chairs will make them feel comfortable, so they’ll probably stick longer.
3. Bathroom updates
The bathroom is yet another room that makes a certain impression of the whole restaurant. It’s difficult to keep it clean and neat if some of the fixtures are leaking or broken. While the whole bathroom update is expensive, new fixtures and a brand new, fancy mirror can go a long way. Adjust dim lighting and consider a new layer of paint – these improvements make the bathroom instantly clean, elegant and up-to-date.
4. Exterior and interior colors
The facade of your restaurant is far more important than you may think. There’s a whole science about what attracts people to enter a certain restaurant and avoid another one. Big cities are swarming with restaurants so the restaurant owners have to compete with others not just with providing quality food. Restaurants in huge cities like New York, London or Sydney usually hire experts that know how to make them stand out.
For example, quality commercial painting in Sydney means you also get color consultancy whether you’re changing the exterior or interior. The right color is what will help your brand become recognizable and make people come back when they notice the exterior of your restaurant again. Carefully chosen interior wall paint will add to the atmosphere and make the guests hungrier.
5. Floor installment
The floor takes the biggest chunk of space in any restaurant, so no wonder it affects the atmosphere greatly. Too many spills and crumbs, as well as the foot traffic, can disturb the overall impression of the restaurant. You need to come up with flooring that is both attractive and low maintenance.
There are several types of floor that work great in most restaurants. For instance, acrylic-infused engineered hardwood floors are almost impossible to ruin while simultaneously providing a modern look. You can also try with natural cleft slate – it’s excellent at hiding stains and spills but it also gives away the rustic feel, which is effective and fits with almost every setting.
6. The layout
The floor plan is highly important – it affects the smooth running of the business but it also adds to the whole experience. The usual floor plans are 40:60 in favor of the dining space vs. workspace. The floor plans need to allow the waiters to move around without any trouble but also the guests to reach the restroom easily. It goes without mentioning that the floor plan should complement the rest of the decor. So, take another look at the floor plan and try to identify if there are any issues or space for improvement. Sometimes we know what the right floor plan is after we have tried the wrong one first.
Final comment
The restaurant business is a very competitive one – the bigger the city, the harsher the competition. You need to be smart when it comes to upgrades – you want to make the right improvements but you also don’t want to spend all your budget on it. Prioritizing the upgrades is the best way to go.
